


The Cave

by Serade



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: A little flirting only, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Random Words Writing, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 11:29:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4744667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serade/pseuds/Serade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From <a href="http://promptsgalore.tumblr.com/post/128411008736/write-something-that-includes-the-following">promptsgalore</a> on Tumblr:<br/>Write something that includes the following: raking leaves, a canoe, tennis shoes, the evening news, an unanswered question</p><p>Bickslow convinces his dormmates to go on a little adventure involving a canoe and Sciliora. That it could have been dangerous, they hadn't thought about before returning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cave

**Author's Note:**

> Also on [my Tumblr](http://seradeposts.tumblr.com/post/128516784668/promptsgalore-write-something-that-includes-the).

Bickslow skipped into the living room with far too much excitement on such an excruciatingly hot day. Laxus sighed before his dormmate even managed to open his mouth. Freed nudged him a little for it and he gave a grumble of irritation.

The green haired man had been his friend since he could remember, and he never let Laxus get away with being unfriendly. It wasn't because he thought Laxus needed to socialise more, as most seemed to, but because he was a great friend, the best kind. He was the kind of friend that wouldn't allow you to set stones in your own path, the kind that spoke up against you when need be. He looked very innocent, but he was strong and firm. That was just one of the great qualities that Laxus adored the linguist for.

Bickslow smiled widely as he saw Freed react to the blond man's dismissive attitude. He would at least be heard today. A good start.

He knew he came across as overly excited and restive to pretty much everyone else in this slow world, but he didn't let that stop him. It had taken him about eight hours to annoy the crap out of his new dormmates, but they had worked it out over time.

Laxus hadn't been very talkative in the beginning, but Bickslow was relentless and Freed helped ease them toward another as well once he himself had started truly appreciating the art students crazy ideas and constant hunger for adventure.

The blond business student sighed as he turned to the artist. “What?”, he asked, genuinely trying not to sound dismissive or irritated to begin with. “I have a brilliant idea”, Bickslow began and he rolled his eyes. “Great.”

Bickslow sniggered, sticking his tongue out shortly before flopping down on the couch beside his dormmate. “We should all go down to Sciliora and rent a boat. A canoe. It'll be great!”

Laxus shook his head. “No way in hell am I walking out in this weather. We will melt before we get to the water”, he dismissed the idea. It was freaking 40°C outside. He was not going to torture himself through a boring canoe ride while being grilled alive just because Bickslow couldn't sit still.

“But it'll be cooling”, Bickslow argued with a disappointed pout. “He is right. It is usually quite bearable on the water, even if there isn't any shade”, Freed agreed. He was clearly not as off-put by the idea of an excursion.

Laxus was starting to fear he would truly have to go outside and face the burning sun. If the linguist turned on him, he wouldn't stand a chance.

That's when an idea formed in his mind. All he had to do was keep Bickslow occupied with something else, so he would stop talking about a trip, wouldn't have the time to give Freed any funny ideas.

“If we're doing anything outside, it should be house work. The lawn needs mowing and there are still leaves lying around the yard after they cut the hedge”, he stated. “Aright then”, Bickslow agreed at once and he shook his head. “That isn't my job and you know it. I do the dishes and keep track of the finances. You wanna go outside, feel free. The lawn mower is in the shed.”

The artist looked back at him silently for a moment, thinking hard. It seemed he had an idea as well. Turning to Freed instead, Bickslow smiled, “If I do the gardening on my own, will you come on a trip to Sciliora with me afterwards?”

Laxus stopped dead.

Shit.

That was not what he had planned at all.

Freed nodded and the artist sprung up with a wide grin. “Aright then! I'll be done in a jiffy. You two better get ready.” He turned back to Laxus with mischief written all over his face before disappearing.

The economy student sighed aloud. There was no way Bickslow would get it all done quickly enough, was there? Freed didn't seem to think more of it, returning to his book, but he couldn't quite shake the ordeal off. That impish look on the artist usually meant he had a plan and there would be trouble sooner or later. Unable to fight the thoughts back, Laxus got up and stalked over to the window.

The little building they were living in housed a total of six students. There was this dorm, with him, Freed, and Bickslow, and then there was the girl dorm in the other half where Evergreen lived together with a busty blonde named Lucy and some small bluenette that never looked up from her books.

Each side had its own common rooms where the rules where decided among the girls and boys respectively, but the rest of the house was common ground between the two dorms. When moving in a few months ago, the girls had taken responsibility for the hall and the guys that for the gardening. This way there wouldn't be any misunderstandings between them about the workload. A hall had to be cleaned far more often, but it wasn't as strenuous.

On their side, Freed and Bickslow had agreed to force Laxus to handle their insurance and rent money as well as other paperwork and he got a pass from any gardening in return.

Looking out the window, he saw that Bickslow was hard at work. He had chucked his t-shirt off and was raking the leaves in the yard. They had turned a little brown by now. It had already been a week since their landlord cut the hedges and asked them to take care of cleaning up.

The artist had a fine pile already, but there was the entire lawn to best before Laxus would have to worry. By the time he was done, it would be far too late. Satisfied, he walked back to the couch and relaxed back with his headphones over his ears.

What he hadn't expected was that Lucy too had observed the artist from a window. She however saw nothing to worry about, just a young, well trained guy that was working topless in the smouldering sun. In short, she saw the perfect opportunity to flirt.

She came out with a glass of lemonade for him and ended up helping him get the job done quicker. That she was invited to a trip to Sciliora at the end of it was her clear sign of success.

 

So it was that Freed, Bickslow, Laxus, Lucy and Evergreen walked through the streets of Magnolia in a heat that even had the cats hide in shadowy corners.

Evergreen was happy to have something other to do than work on her sculpture. It had frustrated her for days now. The stone just wouldn't yield to her touch this time around. But no matter. Right now, she would enjoy the wonderful summer day with her school friends Laxus and Freed, and of course Lucy, her dormmate and the one that had officially invited her along.

She knew very well what Bickslow had done to get the gardening over with quicker, but she wouldn't ruin Lucy's air of confidence now. If the blond literature student was as happy as the crazy artist, then so was she.

It was a shame Levy hadn't been home, but the bluenette was surely with either her books or her boyfriend. Perhaps both.

Reaching the beach, they hired two canoes and set them down at the edge of the water. The guys took one canoe and the girls the other, insisting they would out-paddle their competitors with ease.  They ended up being right as both women knew exactly how to time their strokes from the moment their paddles met the water whereas the boys had to a little adjusting before matching another.

Laxus looked around himself with a surprising ease of mind as they rowed out onto the large blue. It really was refreshing to be out here, despite the lack of shade. There was surely some simple explanation for it, but luckily, he was no physics student and could happily ignore the cause for this effect.

“Oh, look at that!”, Bickslow exclaimed and both Laxus and Freed looked to where he was joyously pointing. In the cliff face west of the city, there was a huge crack. The way the foam of the slight waves ripped apart near the spot in question suggested an entrance of some sort.

The artist waved over to the girls until they changed direction toward them instead. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Looks like a cave! Lets go look!” Lucy gave him a thumbs up and they headed for the cliff side with strong even strokes.

Nearing in on the huge stone wall, they saw that the artist's assessment had been correct. It was indeed a cave entrance. Water splashed against the opening in the rock in an awkward angle, making any passage by boat complicated.

“That is fascinating”, Evergreen smiled happily. “Lets get inside”, Bickslow was the first to suggest, setting his paddle into the water again. “No. What if we damage the boats? They are expensive”, Freed protested at once.

Bickslow turned around to smirk at his friend. “Scared?”, he mused and Freed huffed defensively. “No. I'm just careful. I don't want to end up loosing all my savings on some stupidity.”

“Aw, come on. It'll be fun. We'll go slow and easy. It'll be fine”, Lucy encouraged. “What if the cave isn't stable?”, Laxus wondered. He didn't mind if they wanted to adventure a little, but he wasn't suicidal and the rocks did look pretty ominous. It would be a pain to be locked in there, or worse, be injured and unable to work out for a few weeks. He was building and not about to loose his progress.

“It's stable. So that's not a worry”, Evergreen waved it off. The stonemason apprentices' word was enough for Laxus at least. He shrugged and looked to Freed. They were out here, so they might as well have a look. There was at least shade in the cave.

The linguist finally gave in with a tired sigh. “Fine, but don't kill yourselves, please. That would be a hassle”, he teased and Bickslow saluted obediently. “Aye aye, captain.”

He turned back around and they carefully closed in on the cave mouth. Setting their ores against the cliff to counter the waves that threatened to scrape their boat against the side, they worked their way into the hollow.

As soon as they had passed the tight entrance, the water stilled entirely around them and they stood still in the cool air of the cavern. It was surprisingly dark and they squinted further into the cave curiously.

“And?”, Evergreen called from outside. “Hold on. It's dark”, Freed shouted back. “It seems to be quite larg…” The words died in his throat as his eyes adjusted.

The cavern they had entered was huge. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and the fluid dripping from them formed thick stalagmites beneath. Some had been here for long enough to meet, instead forming thick columns of blue mineral.

“Woah”, Bickslow gaped and even Laxus had to admit, it was an astounding sight.

“Ever, Princess, get in here! You have to see this!”, he shouted and the women eased into the cave as well, slowly manoeuvring their canoe though the treacherous entrance. Sitting beside the men, they looked around the darkness for a moment before they too let their jaws drop in awe.

Slowly pushing their boat further into the cave, they had to pick up their mobile phones to illuminate the way.

The dripping stone around them, the licking of the water against their boats, and the echo of their ores disturbing the water surface was all that could be heard in the cave. It was an oddly loud sound, but very calming. It was as though time stood still in this little cavern.

Lucy took a hold of a stalagmite and clenched her hand, but the hard mineral didn't give in the slightest. Realising what she was trying to do, Laxus tried to be of help by attempting to break off a slimmer stalagmite nearby their boat. It would not budge even to his strength.

Evergreen looked around thoughtfully. “If you want a souvenir, you'll have to pick one with a weak side”, she mumbled as she searched their surroundings. Spotting a mineral formation that should be breakable by hand, she pointed toward the right.

Where the stone formed a small platform above the water surface, a thin stalagmite with uneven dips on its side stood. Lucy tried to reach for it, but it was no use. “Climb up”, Freed encouraged. “The stone looks sharp”, Lucy said hesitantly, inspecting the rough surface before her.

Bickslow reached into the boat and pulled his tennis shoes off, handing them over to her. They weren't his usual protective boots, but they were a hell lot better protection than her flip flops at least.

Thanking him, the literature student pulled them on and carefully heaved herself out of the boat and onto the rock. Walking over to the thin blue formation, she broke it and walked back. Handing it to her dormmate, she took a hold of the boat to step back into it.

She stumbled as she set the first foot down in it and Evergreen caught her before she fell entirely, but one of the too big shoes slipped off her foot and disappeared in the water. “Careful. Aright there?”, Freed asked worriedly and the blonde nodded sheepishly.

“I'm sorry”, she apologised, looking over board for the tennis shoe. She could see it beneath the clear surface, lying at the bottom of the cave, but there was no way they could get it. With all the formations around them, it wasn't safe to jump in.

“It's aright. Just as long as you're not hurt”, the artist waved it off and she nodded, happy he wasn't mad. “You can have my shoes on the way back as payback”, she suggested and the man stuck his tongue out jokingly. “Are you sure? I might loose one.”

Lucy laughed at that. “I won't hear the end of this, will I?” She handed at least the single remaining shoe back before putting her flip flops back on. “I don't know what happened. I though the boat was further down.”

With their souvenir, the group slowly left the cave again. As the end of their rental time neared, they paddled back to shore and headed home.

Deciding to end the wonderful day the right way, they prepared the grill and sat outside in the freshly cleaned garden. Levy too joined in once she returned and they feasted on sausage and salad into the evening.

Laxus turned from the grill when the last of the meat was through and looked around for the grilling mitts. Unable to find it, he snatched Levy's paper instead. She had already read it, so she didn't protest. He held it around the hot grill and heaved it off the coals to cool off.

“Thanks for the meal”, Freed said and he just nodded a little. He never cooked. Never. Unless it was a grill. That, he could do. He took pride in it, but didn't like to admit it. Had he been an ace in the kitchen like Freed, he might have gloated a little more.

Sitting down, he looked at the crumpled sooty evening paper. He suddenly lay it down on his knee, trying to flatten it out, but the grease from the grill had smudged the page. “What page is that?”, Levy wondered and he held it up for her.

“Oh, that. It's about some cave at Sciliora. Some tourist kayaked into it. It floods every day because of the tide and he was trapped inside. A diver had to get him back out. They wanna set up a sign by the cliff now”, she shrugged. She wasn't entirely sure why he was so curious about that and even more surprised when the rest of their little group went quiet.

Lucy swallowed hard. Was that the cave they had been in? She had noticed the boat being higher up than before when she climbed back into it. That's why she fell. Had they been close to being locked in there? The thought made her very nervous.

Freed too found it a little uncomfortable. He had the same thought, but floods were usually quite quick. They hadn't noticed any dramatic increase in the water level. Perhaps it had still been hours before the tide. “When exactly is tide there?”, he asked no one in particular.

Evergreen sighed. “For my part, it's perfectly aright if that question stays unanswered”, she stated. Levy shrugged, beginning, “It should be around...”

“Nope!”, the stonemason interrupted. “I mean it. I don't wanna hear it!”, she declared firmly and Lucy nodded, “I concur. I really don't want to know.”

Levy looked among the students in bewilderment. The guys didn't really seem to care, but if both Lucy and Evergreen insisted, she wouldn't say it. “Okay, if you insist”, he mumbled, returning to her food instead.

Whatever had gotten into them?

 


End file.
